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County fair is summer rite of passage

Can you smell the bloomin’ onions? If you think about it hard enough you might be able to taste an elephant ear. With just a little imagination your taste buds will remember the tart zing of a lemon squeeze.

Where can you find all these and more? The Lawrence County Fair.

The annual event that attracts thousands of visitors to the eastern end of Lawrence County every year kicked off Saturday and will continue through July 14.

The extravaganza is important, not only to the hundreds of youth involved in 4-H but also to the county’s economy. It injects a significant amount of money into local businesses and families.

The lead up to this year’s fair kick off has been somewhat marred by controversy and ongoing legal battles involving the construction of a new livestock barn and arena.

Hopefully this will not dampen anyone’s enthusiasm for the event. The youth rely on strong participation at the fair and had absolutely nothing to do with the barn project. They shouldn’t be punished for it.

The Lawrence County Fair Board, the Lawrence County Commissioners and the necessary attorneys will sort this out. The important thing is that the community supports the fair and enjoys it for what it is — a staple of Americana and a slice of life in rural Appalachia.

Dozens of volunteers have worked tirelessly to get this event ready and there should be something for everyone.

From carnival games to amusement park rides to musical performances to animal showcases to the always popular demolition derby, the goal is to provide family-friendly entertainment.

So don’t rely on your memory to capture the sights, sounds and tastes of the Lawrence County Fair. Hop in the car and see for yourself.

Michael Caldwell is publisher of The Tribune. To reach him, call (740) 532-1445 ext. 24 or by e-mail at mike.caldwell@irontontribune.com. Follow him on Twitter: @MikeCaldwell_IT.

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Poor Richard

This evening I watched a documentary about London and the Queen of England. The host said something that was quite true, that you can’t have a future without remembering the past. They have so many traditions that date back hundreds of years, houses and buildings that date back to the 1400s they still live in and use. Their culture is full of history and tradition and all those traditions tie the people to each other and make their society meaningful and rich. They are proud of their accomplishments, and remember those that came before them with great respect.

We have so few traditions left here in the US, in our county and state, we have so few historic buildings and homes that are still standing. Long running events that are stopped because of cost or no one seems to care or wants to work hard enough to make them happen anymore. All this is sad and has divided communities and people.

The County Fair is a tradition, as Mr. Caldwell describes, all those sights, sounds, and smells bring back childhood memories of the fair. The Fair is a time that we see friends we rarely see any other time. We get to laugh together, talk about families, support the 4H programs, and have alot of fun. The County Fair is a local tradition celebrating the agricultural industry and it is well worth the effort.